That evening, Arek sat around with Minsc and Tavion. The two had done what
he'd asked them to do and they were drinking a bottle of some very potent
alcohol. He hadn't seen the three mages since returning to the Copper
Coronet, but Tavion and Minsc said that they were in their rooms and had
been since the fight at the Shadow Thieves guild hall. He honestly didn't
care that much right now. He did exactly what they said they'd do, if they
couldn't reach a diplomatic solution, they would use force. He knew that
they were disgusted by how he'd dealt with the leader, but he had no
control over what happened; it was in his blood line. Tavion was the same
way, so were many others that shared the blood line of the former Lord of
Murder, his father Bhaal. He was sure that if he hadn't charged through the
guards that Tavion would have. He didn't have time to worry right now,
however. The three fighters were planning their next plan for what to do
about the thieves. "Kobebryant did say that he has an army of two thousand
strong. What's to keep them from rebuilding the guild? I think that we
should take our time getting to Nashkel. We should travel from town to town
along the way, seeing what kind of state the Shadow Thieves are in. If they
attack us, we'll know that the other two leaders know what happened. The
more cells we take out, the easier things should be along the way. The two
major cities between here and Nashkel would be Trademeet and Umar Hills.
Now neither of these places is big, but with the markets in Trademeet,
there are bound to be many Shadow Thieves. There isn't much in Umar Hills,
though it might not be bad to check it out. I know that Madulf and his
tribe are there and they wouldn't let thieves run that town. I think that
we should have Tavion and Keara go check that out, then meet us at
de'Arnise Keep. I'm sure Nalia wouldn't mind seeing us. What do you tow
think?"
"I don't like being separated from the group like this, but if it would help you to know that the Shadow Thieves haven't touched Umar Hills, I'll do it. It would give me some time to lead, what with Arek taking charge all the time." At this he gives his brother a playful punch in the arm.
"Minsc and Boo agree with Arek's plan. It is smart and it will give Minsc and Boo some exercise, we haven't been on the road for a long time." Minsc drinks from his flask and pets his hamster on the head.
Arek drains his glass, then, looking at Tavion and Minsc, he says to the two, "Alright then, tomorrow Minsc and I will take Victoria and Valerine to Trademeet, and Tavion and Keara will head up to Umar Hills. Now, we need to get some rest before our travels. You guys go on up and I will go talk to Victoria and let her know what is going on. Tavion and Minsc leave the table and Arek heads towards the room that was occupied by Victoria. He knocks on the door and it is quickly opened by Victoria. "Sorry to disturb you so late, Victoria, but I was just making plans with Tavion and Minsc and I thought I'd run them by you, is it alright if I come in?"
"Yes, please do." She opens the door wider for him to enter and he does so. He takes a seat as she sits down in a lounge chair. Cloudwing flies by into the bedroom when Arek enters, leaving the two to talk. Victoria looks at Arek and asks, "So what do you have in mind for going about the rest of the journey?"
"Well first off, I want to apologize for the way things went today. I tried to talk to Kobebryant to get him to surrender, but he wouldn't have it. As for the way things went during the fighting, I am sorry for that as well. When I get into a battle it is hard for me to control my rage. It has to do in part with my bloodline. As hard as I try, I cannot control the things that run through my body. My father, the late Lord of Murder, Bhaal, was a ruthless killer and relished in the spilling of blood. That is why my tactics today were somewhat brutal. Tavion, too, feels the things I do when he is in battle, as do all the other Bhaalspawn living today." He paused a moment to read the expression on her face. Thankfully, it was one of understanding, and it also showed an expression of pity. He continued, saying, "As for our plans, you, Valerine, Minsc and I will head down to Trademeet, to see if we can uncover any of the troops that Kobebryant says he has. I don't believe that we will encounter an army of two thousand strong, but if we can uncover and Shadow Thieves, that would be costly to the other two leaders in Nashkel and Baldur's Gate. Tavion and Keara will head towards the area of Umar Hills to see if he can uncover and Thieves in that area. We will meet in a few days at a keep that is controlled by a good friend of mine. From there, we will head northward to Nashkel. Does this sound good to you?"
"It does. It seems like you have a great understanding into the minds of these Thieves. I wonder, what history do you have with them?"
"Five years ago, I led a party throughout Faerun. We managed to put an end to the troubles that plagued the Sword Coast. Another Bhaalspawn, like me, was terrorizing the trade routes. After he had killed my foster father, a good friend to Elminister himself, Gorion, I pledged to seek him out and kill him. I was successful, a hero to the Sword Coast. But soon after, people feared that I would follow in my brother's footsteps and try to take over the area. I soon left, heading south toward Amn. My party was attacked while we slept and we were captured by a man named Jon Irenicus. The people that attacked us, I later found out were Shadow Thieves. After I escaped and hunted for Irenicus, the Shadow Thieves attempted to use me to further their reach over the city by exterminating a group of vampires that were killing them off one by one. I found out that they were using me and I have wanted vengeance on them ever since."
"You have had a hard life, Arek. I don't understand what you have been through. I have not had an easy life myself, but I cannot begin to fathom what you have been through." He looks into her face and sees tears forming in her eyes. "After today, I have become afraid. What is to stop anyone from doing what you did to the guards to us? We have no combat experience. I am afraid that somewhere along the way, we will fail, that we will perish. Who can save us from death?"
"You have nothing to fear as long as Minsc, Tavion and I are here. We will not let anything happen to you. We will die first before anyone gets close to you. I trust Minsc and Tavion and I know that they will put their lives on the line to ensure that you are safe and protected." Arek gives her a determined look. Suddenly, Victoria hugs him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hugs her back, comforting her. She lets go of Arek and as he heads for the door, she kisses him firmly on the lips. Arek kisses her back, but she pulls away quickly.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. It's just that you are just strong and powerful, I just couldn't help myself. You are a very proud and determined warrior I pity anyone that you face." She kisses him on the cheek and then lets him leave.
Arek walks back to his room and takes off his armor. He is just getting into bed when he here's a knock on his door. He goes over to the door with a dagger in his hand and opens the door slowly. In the candle light from his bedside table he makes out the features of Victoria. He replaces his dagger in its sheath and opens the door further, allowing her entry. She walks in and looks at Arek. "I was wondering if it would be alright if I stayed here. For some reason, I don't want to be alone tonight. Cloudwing is with Keara and Phoenix for the night and my room just feels so empty."
"Sure, you may stay here. Go ahead and take the bed, I'll take the floor." As he moves away from her, she grabs his shoulder. He turns around to see her staring up at him. She leans in and kisses him again. He returns her kiss and soon he has his arms wrapped around her. She starts to undo his shirt, unbuttoning it and throws it across the room. She then undoes his pants and he kicks them off. His hands untie her cloak and it falls away, revealing her naked body. He presses up against her and they kiss once again. For a moment they stand there, exploring each others body. Then Arek picks her up and places her on the bed. He lies down on top of her and slides himself into her. She moans aloud as he pushes back and forth against her body. Each push against her brought them closer and closer until it was all over. They lay there for a long while, simply kissing one another until they both fell asleep.
The next morning, Arek and Victoria woke up early so that Victoria could return to her room before the rest of the group got up. However, when Arek walked back down the hall way, he saw Keara coming out of Tavion's room. He smiled to himself as she walked by with an embarrassed look on her face. Arek headed down to Tavion's room and knocked on his door. He opened it and Arek came into the room with a look that would have made any other man soil himself. Before Tavion could speak, however, Arek turned his face into that of a brother congratulating a brother for achieving success. "So I take it you had a very good night last night then, eh little brother?" Arek smiled as he waited for Tavion's reply.
"A gentleman does not speak of such things," he replied. He could have stuck with that had he not started laughing the moment the words left his mouth. "I'd stick to that if I were a gentleman, I swear I would. Yes, I did have a good night, and unless my ears deceived me, you did too." He smiled back at his brother, who had turned a light shade of red.
"That I did, that I did. But don't let it get in the way of our objective, we have a job to do." Arek smiled as he left his brothers room and headed back to his own. He dressed in his clothes and then put on his armor. He grabbed the Avenger, Azuredge and the Sword of Sunburst as well as his traveling pack and headed downstairs. He sat there and waited for the remainder of the party to come down stairs. Victoria arrived first and greeted Arek with a kiss. Tavion and Keara came next, each looking pleased with themselves. Only Minsc and Valerine looked as they would on any given day. They all had their weapons and packs with them. Arek stood up once every one had been seated and said, "Today we split up for the period of one week. Tavion and Keara, you two are to go to Umar Hills and see if you can find anything to do with the Shadow Thieves. Minsc, Victoria, Valerine and I are going to Trademeet to see what we can find their. Hopefully Jaheria's Druid Enclave can help us out down there. Tavion, be sure that you talk to Valygar, the cities ranger, or Madulf, the Orc in who lives just north of the town. He is a good friend of mine and will surely help you out. We will meet in one week at the de'Arnise keep. From there we will head to Nashkel. If you have any questions, ask them now."
Tavion was the only one who spoke. "Are we going to use force, or do you want us to use diplomacy?"
"If the thieves know what happened here, which they probably do, you will have to use force if you want to stay alive. Now, let's head out." The party left the Coronet and headed towards the city gates. Once at the gates, Tavion and Keara headed northward towards Umar Hills while Arek and the rest of the group headed southward to Trademeet.
Tavion and Keara spent the better part of a day traveling. They stopped just five hours away from Umar Hills so that they could rest for the night. They kissed by the fire, but before anything further could happen, Tavion's ranger senses heard a noise that caught his attention. He heard the rustle of leaves and knew that it was from some sort of flying creature. He told Keara to wait by the fire with Phoenix and to keep a sharp eye out. But before he could do any searching, a great winged beast flew into the clearing. Though it wasn't a dragon, it was almost as vicious. A huge wyvern stood before Tavion. The wyvern let out a loud roar and Tavion drew Dragonsbane and the Flail of Ages. The wyvern reared its head and swung it neck downward, trying to grab Tavion with its jaws. Tavion braced himself, ducked under the head and stabbed his sword upward into the jaw of the beast. It impaled itself in the beast's jaw bone and Tavion was lifted off the ground as the wyvern recoiled in agony. As Tavion hung in the air, the beast tried to swipe its tail at Tavion. Tavion merely swung the Flail of Ages at the spiked tail. As the flail collided with the tail, each of the flail's heads desecrated one of the spikes. The beast roared again, managing to get the blade out of its jaw. Tavion fell to the ground and felt the air rush out of his lungs as the beast planted a foot on his chest. Tavion struggled, trying to reach his nearby sword. The pressure of the foot increased, causing more and more air to rush out of his lungs. Suddenly, there was a bright flash from behind him and the pressure slackened. He got up and saw that Keara had cast a spell that had distracted the wyvern. He also saw that a great white wolf had leapt upon the wyvern. Tavion took his chance and using the Flail of Ages as an anchor, he climbed onto the beast and started climbing up its neck. The wyvern noticed only too late the body on his head as Tavion drove the blade of his sword down into the beast's skull. The beast let out a low roar as it died and crashed down to the ground. Suddenly, the summoned white wolf disappeared and he looked up to see Keara rushing to him. She knelt by him and helped him to his feet. They walked back to the fire and sat down. Keara took off Tavion's armor and inspected his chest, looking for any sign of a punctured lung or broken ribs.
"Well you are very lucky that you don't have any major injuries. That wyvern could have crushed you," she sounded afraid. Tavion looked into her eyes and saw tears.
"I was lucky that you summoned that wolf when you did; that's what saved me. I owe you my life, how can I repay you?" She smiled and ran her hands down to his pants.
"Oh, I can think of a few ways," she said as she undid his pants. Tavion smiled and took her clothes off and then they kissed. There Tavion slid into her as he got on top of her. He pushed against her, then pulled back, over and over again as they explored each other and made love by the fire. The fire had grown very low by the time they were done and Keara ordered her familiar to keep the fire going while the night went on.
It took Arek, Minsc, Victoria and Valerine the better part of two days to reach Trademeet. The journey was rather boring and it made Arek quite uneasy. Surely word had reached the other members of Kobebryant's guild. Or had Kobebryant been lying to them when he said he had an army of two thousand strong. He hoped that his friend Jaheria had some information for him. He left Minsc and Valerine to explore around Trademeet to see what they could find while he and Victoria went to Jaheria's Druid Enclave. When they got there, they were greeted by his old friends Cernd and Haer'Dalis, who were standing guard over the entrance to the Enclave.
"Cernd! And Haer'Dalis! How good it is to see you both again. How are you all doing?" Arek asked as he greeted his friends with a hearty handshake.
"We have been good, raven," Haer'Dalis spoke up. "How have you faired in your adventures?"
"I have been good, though things aren't as exciting as they used to be. Tell me, how fairs Jaheria?"
This time it was Cernd who spoke up, "She is well. She has been busy since she accepted leadership here. She did manage to find that information for you. We'll lead you to her, if you'll just follow us inside." The two led the party into the Enclave. It was an enormous cavern filled with druids bustling around the caverns, either training or tending to plants. Cernd and Haer'Dalis led the group to a throne room that was elegantly decorated with many exotic plants. Sitting on the throne was a battle hardened elf who was ordering around different druids. She looked up and saw Arek and Minsc walking towards her. "By the gods, I'd never thought that I'd see the day when the two of you would come asking me for help. How have you faired in your journeys? It has been too long since we last saw each other." She gave each of them a hug and sat back down so that they could talk.
"We have faired very well, though recently, as I explained in the message I sent to you, that we were called upon the Order to escort around three witches that were going about trying to stop the illicit actions of the Shadow Thieves. We came here to Trademeet to try and rat out any thieves that are here. Do you know of any activities?"
"I have done some searching for you and have found nothing. Mazzy is the leader of the rangers in town now and has helped a lot in the search. If there were any thieves here, we would have found them."
"Hmm, this brings up a lot of questions now. But I thank you for what you have done for us. If you would let us, we would like to stay here a night before heading northward."
"Oh Arek, please, you should know that you are always welcome here. You will always be my friend and there is always help here if you need it. But if you don't mind, I have work to do, I'll see you all at dinner. I can't wait to talk to you and you mage companions about you travel thus far.'
That night at dinner, Cernd, Haer'Dalis and Jaheria were all sitting at the dining hall table when Minsc, Valerine, Victoria, and Arek joined them. Arek was also surprised to see Mazzy Fentan had joined them. He greeted the half-ling with a hug and sat down to the table next to Victoria. The group talked about adventures they'd shared and had experienced apart. They toasted to the success of the mages and the health of all they had traveled with. That night as Arek fell asleep next to Victoria, he couldn't help thinking about all the good times he had had with his friends, and wondered about the good times to come.
Tavion awoke with a start. He'd been dreaming again. It was the same thing. He had died fighting the most potent dragon in Faerun. Not only had he died, he failed in saving Keara's life. This was the different part of his dream. Before tonight he had never dreamed that his new lover had died. It was only he that had died before. He got up and dressed in the dark, then walked out into the tavern part of the Inn. He ordered a drink and was surprised to see a familiar face walk into the tavern. There stood his old friend Valygar. The past five years had been good to him. He looked healthy as well as wealthy. It appeared that his status as the town's ranger had led him to much profit. The ranger walked over to his table and extended his hand toward Tavion. "It has been too long, my old friend," Tavion said to Valygar as he sat down. "How have these past five years treated you?"
"They have been good to me, and yes, it has been far too long. So what brings you up to Umar Hills after all these years? Somehow I don't think it is just for fun."
"I've come to ask if you know of any Shadow Thief activity in the region. Arek and I put a stop to their dealings in Athkatla itself and now we are looking for any stragglers. Do you know of any here in Umar Hills?"
"Unfortunately, my friend, there has been no sign of them here. If you want, we could go ask Madulf out at his encampment. He might have heard of some. Let's go ask him, it isn't that far away."
"Ok, but let me got to my room and grab my equipment. My brother warned me about the sort of creatures that roam these hills." He returned to his room, gave Keara a kiss and left with his armor on and his weapons on his belt. He and Valygar left the town heading west towards a billowing smoke cloud in the distance that signified the encampment that Madulf had set up. The reach the camp and are greeted by Madulf. "Greeting Madulf, I am the brother of Arek, the human that set up your relationship with town of Umar Hills. I have come to ask you a question I hope you can answer."
"Ahh, it is good to hear that my friend Arek lives. I would gladly do anything that would help out the brother of Arek. What is it you need to ask me?"
"There is a group of thieves that are very powerful throughout Amn. They are the Shadow Thieves. I was wondering if you had heard of any activities involving them in the woods around Umar Hills."
"I am afraid that I cannot help you in this matter. We have not heard nor seen these thieves of shadow in the woods. I'm sorry we couldn't be more helpful."
"Thanks anyway, Madulf. I expected to hear what I have heard, I just wanted it confirmed. I will be sure to pass on your hello to Arek." With that he left with Valygar and headed back to town. "Thanks for your help, Valygar. I will be leaving the area headed for de'Arnise keep as soon as Keara is ready. I'll be sure to send your greetings to Arek as well as Madulf's." He gets back to the Inn to see Keara awake and ready. Soon after they leave, heading west towards the de'Arnise keep.
Arek and the others leave the Enclave the next morning and head northward towards the de'Arnise keep. After three days of a rather boring hike, they group arrives at a massive castle surrounded by thousands of acres of farm land. They go into the castle grounds to see Tavion and Keara sitting down in the shade for lunch. Arek greets his brother and tells of his unsuccessful journey to Trademeet. Tavion, too, tells of his likewise unsuccessful journey to Umar Hills. They spend the night at the keep and prepare for their journey. As he falls asleep, Arek wonders of what is to come in the coming days. He also wonders what will be waiting for him inside the town of Nashkel.
"I don't like being separated from the group like this, but if it would help you to know that the Shadow Thieves haven't touched Umar Hills, I'll do it. It would give me some time to lead, what with Arek taking charge all the time." At this he gives his brother a playful punch in the arm.
"Minsc and Boo agree with Arek's plan. It is smart and it will give Minsc and Boo some exercise, we haven't been on the road for a long time." Minsc drinks from his flask and pets his hamster on the head.
Arek drains his glass, then, looking at Tavion and Minsc, he says to the two, "Alright then, tomorrow Minsc and I will take Victoria and Valerine to Trademeet, and Tavion and Keara will head up to Umar Hills. Now, we need to get some rest before our travels. You guys go on up and I will go talk to Victoria and let her know what is going on. Tavion and Minsc leave the table and Arek heads towards the room that was occupied by Victoria. He knocks on the door and it is quickly opened by Victoria. "Sorry to disturb you so late, Victoria, but I was just making plans with Tavion and Minsc and I thought I'd run them by you, is it alright if I come in?"
"Yes, please do." She opens the door wider for him to enter and he does so. He takes a seat as she sits down in a lounge chair. Cloudwing flies by into the bedroom when Arek enters, leaving the two to talk. Victoria looks at Arek and asks, "So what do you have in mind for going about the rest of the journey?"
"Well first off, I want to apologize for the way things went today. I tried to talk to Kobebryant to get him to surrender, but he wouldn't have it. As for the way things went during the fighting, I am sorry for that as well. When I get into a battle it is hard for me to control my rage. It has to do in part with my bloodline. As hard as I try, I cannot control the things that run through my body. My father, the late Lord of Murder, Bhaal, was a ruthless killer and relished in the spilling of blood. That is why my tactics today were somewhat brutal. Tavion, too, feels the things I do when he is in battle, as do all the other Bhaalspawn living today." He paused a moment to read the expression on her face. Thankfully, it was one of understanding, and it also showed an expression of pity. He continued, saying, "As for our plans, you, Valerine, Minsc and I will head down to Trademeet, to see if we can uncover any of the troops that Kobebryant says he has. I don't believe that we will encounter an army of two thousand strong, but if we can uncover and Shadow Thieves, that would be costly to the other two leaders in Nashkel and Baldur's Gate. Tavion and Keara will head towards the area of Umar Hills to see if he can uncover and Thieves in that area. We will meet in a few days at a keep that is controlled by a good friend of mine. From there, we will head northward to Nashkel. Does this sound good to you?"
"It does. It seems like you have a great understanding into the minds of these Thieves. I wonder, what history do you have with them?"
"Five years ago, I led a party throughout Faerun. We managed to put an end to the troubles that plagued the Sword Coast. Another Bhaalspawn, like me, was terrorizing the trade routes. After he had killed my foster father, a good friend to Elminister himself, Gorion, I pledged to seek him out and kill him. I was successful, a hero to the Sword Coast. But soon after, people feared that I would follow in my brother's footsteps and try to take over the area. I soon left, heading south toward Amn. My party was attacked while we slept and we were captured by a man named Jon Irenicus. The people that attacked us, I later found out were Shadow Thieves. After I escaped and hunted for Irenicus, the Shadow Thieves attempted to use me to further their reach over the city by exterminating a group of vampires that were killing them off one by one. I found out that they were using me and I have wanted vengeance on them ever since."
"You have had a hard life, Arek. I don't understand what you have been through. I have not had an easy life myself, but I cannot begin to fathom what you have been through." He looks into her face and sees tears forming in her eyes. "After today, I have become afraid. What is to stop anyone from doing what you did to the guards to us? We have no combat experience. I am afraid that somewhere along the way, we will fail, that we will perish. Who can save us from death?"
"You have nothing to fear as long as Minsc, Tavion and I are here. We will not let anything happen to you. We will die first before anyone gets close to you. I trust Minsc and Tavion and I know that they will put their lives on the line to ensure that you are safe and protected." Arek gives her a determined look. Suddenly, Victoria hugs him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hugs her back, comforting her. She lets go of Arek and as he heads for the door, she kisses him firmly on the lips. Arek kisses her back, but she pulls away quickly.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. It's just that you are just strong and powerful, I just couldn't help myself. You are a very proud and determined warrior I pity anyone that you face." She kisses him on the cheek and then lets him leave.
Arek walks back to his room and takes off his armor. He is just getting into bed when he here's a knock on his door. He goes over to the door with a dagger in his hand and opens the door slowly. In the candle light from his bedside table he makes out the features of Victoria. He replaces his dagger in its sheath and opens the door further, allowing her entry. She walks in and looks at Arek. "I was wondering if it would be alright if I stayed here. For some reason, I don't want to be alone tonight. Cloudwing is with Keara and Phoenix for the night and my room just feels so empty."
"Sure, you may stay here. Go ahead and take the bed, I'll take the floor." As he moves away from her, she grabs his shoulder. He turns around to see her staring up at him. She leans in and kisses him again. He returns her kiss and soon he has his arms wrapped around her. She starts to undo his shirt, unbuttoning it and throws it across the room. She then undoes his pants and he kicks them off. His hands untie her cloak and it falls away, revealing her naked body. He presses up against her and they kiss once again. For a moment they stand there, exploring each others body. Then Arek picks her up and places her on the bed. He lies down on top of her and slides himself into her. She moans aloud as he pushes back and forth against her body. Each push against her brought them closer and closer until it was all over. They lay there for a long while, simply kissing one another until they both fell asleep.
The next morning, Arek and Victoria woke up early so that Victoria could return to her room before the rest of the group got up. However, when Arek walked back down the hall way, he saw Keara coming out of Tavion's room. He smiled to himself as she walked by with an embarrassed look on her face. Arek headed down to Tavion's room and knocked on his door. He opened it and Arek came into the room with a look that would have made any other man soil himself. Before Tavion could speak, however, Arek turned his face into that of a brother congratulating a brother for achieving success. "So I take it you had a very good night last night then, eh little brother?" Arek smiled as he waited for Tavion's reply.
"A gentleman does not speak of such things," he replied. He could have stuck with that had he not started laughing the moment the words left his mouth. "I'd stick to that if I were a gentleman, I swear I would. Yes, I did have a good night, and unless my ears deceived me, you did too." He smiled back at his brother, who had turned a light shade of red.
"That I did, that I did. But don't let it get in the way of our objective, we have a job to do." Arek smiled as he left his brothers room and headed back to his own. He dressed in his clothes and then put on his armor. He grabbed the Avenger, Azuredge and the Sword of Sunburst as well as his traveling pack and headed downstairs. He sat there and waited for the remainder of the party to come down stairs. Victoria arrived first and greeted Arek with a kiss. Tavion and Keara came next, each looking pleased with themselves. Only Minsc and Valerine looked as they would on any given day. They all had their weapons and packs with them. Arek stood up once every one had been seated and said, "Today we split up for the period of one week. Tavion and Keara, you two are to go to Umar Hills and see if you can find anything to do with the Shadow Thieves. Minsc, Victoria, Valerine and I are going to Trademeet to see what we can find their. Hopefully Jaheria's Druid Enclave can help us out down there. Tavion, be sure that you talk to Valygar, the cities ranger, or Madulf, the Orc in who lives just north of the town. He is a good friend of mine and will surely help you out. We will meet in one week at the de'Arnise keep. From there we will head to Nashkel. If you have any questions, ask them now."
Tavion was the only one who spoke. "Are we going to use force, or do you want us to use diplomacy?"
"If the thieves know what happened here, which they probably do, you will have to use force if you want to stay alive. Now, let's head out." The party left the Coronet and headed towards the city gates. Once at the gates, Tavion and Keara headed northward towards Umar Hills while Arek and the rest of the group headed southward to Trademeet.
Tavion and Keara spent the better part of a day traveling. They stopped just five hours away from Umar Hills so that they could rest for the night. They kissed by the fire, but before anything further could happen, Tavion's ranger senses heard a noise that caught his attention. He heard the rustle of leaves and knew that it was from some sort of flying creature. He told Keara to wait by the fire with Phoenix and to keep a sharp eye out. But before he could do any searching, a great winged beast flew into the clearing. Though it wasn't a dragon, it was almost as vicious. A huge wyvern stood before Tavion. The wyvern let out a loud roar and Tavion drew Dragonsbane and the Flail of Ages. The wyvern reared its head and swung it neck downward, trying to grab Tavion with its jaws. Tavion braced himself, ducked under the head and stabbed his sword upward into the jaw of the beast. It impaled itself in the beast's jaw bone and Tavion was lifted off the ground as the wyvern recoiled in agony. As Tavion hung in the air, the beast tried to swipe its tail at Tavion. Tavion merely swung the Flail of Ages at the spiked tail. As the flail collided with the tail, each of the flail's heads desecrated one of the spikes. The beast roared again, managing to get the blade out of its jaw. Tavion fell to the ground and felt the air rush out of his lungs as the beast planted a foot on his chest. Tavion struggled, trying to reach his nearby sword. The pressure of the foot increased, causing more and more air to rush out of his lungs. Suddenly, there was a bright flash from behind him and the pressure slackened. He got up and saw that Keara had cast a spell that had distracted the wyvern. He also saw that a great white wolf had leapt upon the wyvern. Tavion took his chance and using the Flail of Ages as an anchor, he climbed onto the beast and started climbing up its neck. The wyvern noticed only too late the body on his head as Tavion drove the blade of his sword down into the beast's skull. The beast let out a low roar as it died and crashed down to the ground. Suddenly, the summoned white wolf disappeared and he looked up to see Keara rushing to him. She knelt by him and helped him to his feet. They walked back to the fire and sat down. Keara took off Tavion's armor and inspected his chest, looking for any sign of a punctured lung or broken ribs.
"Well you are very lucky that you don't have any major injuries. That wyvern could have crushed you," she sounded afraid. Tavion looked into her eyes and saw tears.
"I was lucky that you summoned that wolf when you did; that's what saved me. I owe you my life, how can I repay you?" She smiled and ran her hands down to his pants.
"Oh, I can think of a few ways," she said as she undid his pants. Tavion smiled and took her clothes off and then they kissed. There Tavion slid into her as he got on top of her. He pushed against her, then pulled back, over and over again as they explored each other and made love by the fire. The fire had grown very low by the time they were done and Keara ordered her familiar to keep the fire going while the night went on.
It took Arek, Minsc, Victoria and Valerine the better part of two days to reach Trademeet. The journey was rather boring and it made Arek quite uneasy. Surely word had reached the other members of Kobebryant's guild. Or had Kobebryant been lying to them when he said he had an army of two thousand strong. He hoped that his friend Jaheria had some information for him. He left Minsc and Valerine to explore around Trademeet to see what they could find while he and Victoria went to Jaheria's Druid Enclave. When they got there, they were greeted by his old friends Cernd and Haer'Dalis, who were standing guard over the entrance to the Enclave.
"Cernd! And Haer'Dalis! How good it is to see you both again. How are you all doing?" Arek asked as he greeted his friends with a hearty handshake.
"We have been good, raven," Haer'Dalis spoke up. "How have you faired in your adventures?"
"I have been good, though things aren't as exciting as they used to be. Tell me, how fairs Jaheria?"
This time it was Cernd who spoke up, "She is well. She has been busy since she accepted leadership here. She did manage to find that information for you. We'll lead you to her, if you'll just follow us inside." The two led the party into the Enclave. It was an enormous cavern filled with druids bustling around the caverns, either training or tending to plants. Cernd and Haer'Dalis led the group to a throne room that was elegantly decorated with many exotic plants. Sitting on the throne was a battle hardened elf who was ordering around different druids. She looked up and saw Arek and Minsc walking towards her. "By the gods, I'd never thought that I'd see the day when the two of you would come asking me for help. How have you faired in your journeys? It has been too long since we last saw each other." She gave each of them a hug and sat back down so that they could talk.
"We have faired very well, though recently, as I explained in the message I sent to you, that we were called upon the Order to escort around three witches that were going about trying to stop the illicit actions of the Shadow Thieves. We came here to Trademeet to try and rat out any thieves that are here. Do you know of any activities?"
"I have done some searching for you and have found nothing. Mazzy is the leader of the rangers in town now and has helped a lot in the search. If there were any thieves here, we would have found them."
"Hmm, this brings up a lot of questions now. But I thank you for what you have done for us. If you would let us, we would like to stay here a night before heading northward."
"Oh Arek, please, you should know that you are always welcome here. You will always be my friend and there is always help here if you need it. But if you don't mind, I have work to do, I'll see you all at dinner. I can't wait to talk to you and you mage companions about you travel thus far.'
That night at dinner, Cernd, Haer'Dalis and Jaheria were all sitting at the dining hall table when Minsc, Valerine, Victoria, and Arek joined them. Arek was also surprised to see Mazzy Fentan had joined them. He greeted the half-ling with a hug and sat down to the table next to Victoria. The group talked about adventures they'd shared and had experienced apart. They toasted to the success of the mages and the health of all they had traveled with. That night as Arek fell asleep next to Victoria, he couldn't help thinking about all the good times he had had with his friends, and wondered about the good times to come.
Tavion awoke with a start. He'd been dreaming again. It was the same thing. He had died fighting the most potent dragon in Faerun. Not only had he died, he failed in saving Keara's life. This was the different part of his dream. Before tonight he had never dreamed that his new lover had died. It was only he that had died before. He got up and dressed in the dark, then walked out into the tavern part of the Inn. He ordered a drink and was surprised to see a familiar face walk into the tavern. There stood his old friend Valygar. The past five years had been good to him. He looked healthy as well as wealthy. It appeared that his status as the town's ranger had led him to much profit. The ranger walked over to his table and extended his hand toward Tavion. "It has been too long, my old friend," Tavion said to Valygar as he sat down. "How have these past five years treated you?"
"They have been good to me, and yes, it has been far too long. So what brings you up to Umar Hills after all these years? Somehow I don't think it is just for fun."
"I've come to ask if you know of any Shadow Thief activity in the region. Arek and I put a stop to their dealings in Athkatla itself and now we are looking for any stragglers. Do you know of any here in Umar Hills?"
"Unfortunately, my friend, there has been no sign of them here. If you want, we could go ask Madulf out at his encampment. He might have heard of some. Let's go ask him, it isn't that far away."
"Ok, but let me got to my room and grab my equipment. My brother warned me about the sort of creatures that roam these hills." He returned to his room, gave Keara a kiss and left with his armor on and his weapons on his belt. He and Valygar left the town heading west towards a billowing smoke cloud in the distance that signified the encampment that Madulf had set up. The reach the camp and are greeted by Madulf. "Greeting Madulf, I am the brother of Arek, the human that set up your relationship with town of Umar Hills. I have come to ask you a question I hope you can answer."
"Ahh, it is good to hear that my friend Arek lives. I would gladly do anything that would help out the brother of Arek. What is it you need to ask me?"
"There is a group of thieves that are very powerful throughout Amn. They are the Shadow Thieves. I was wondering if you had heard of any activities involving them in the woods around Umar Hills."
"I am afraid that I cannot help you in this matter. We have not heard nor seen these thieves of shadow in the woods. I'm sorry we couldn't be more helpful."
"Thanks anyway, Madulf. I expected to hear what I have heard, I just wanted it confirmed. I will be sure to pass on your hello to Arek." With that he left with Valygar and headed back to town. "Thanks for your help, Valygar. I will be leaving the area headed for de'Arnise keep as soon as Keara is ready. I'll be sure to send your greetings to Arek as well as Madulf's." He gets back to the Inn to see Keara awake and ready. Soon after they leave, heading west towards the de'Arnise keep.
Arek and the others leave the Enclave the next morning and head northward towards the de'Arnise keep. After three days of a rather boring hike, they group arrives at a massive castle surrounded by thousands of acres of farm land. They go into the castle grounds to see Tavion and Keara sitting down in the shade for lunch. Arek greets his brother and tells of his unsuccessful journey to Trademeet. Tavion, too, tells of his likewise unsuccessful journey to Umar Hills. They spend the night at the keep and prepare for their journey. As he falls asleep, Arek wonders of what is to come in the coming days. He also wonders what will be waiting for him inside the town of Nashkel.
